A slow-moving, lightweight drone that features an inflatable wing and that promises to offer improved safety, efficiency and practicality for last-mile deliveries has been developed by a France-based startup.

The team from Celeste Ecoflyers suggests that large, heavy drones tend to pose a significant cybersecurity risk, because they can be hijacked and potentially used for nefarious purposes by malicious hackers.

Source: Celeste Ecoflyers

As such, the team developed its dAS10 fixed-wing aircraft, which features an inflatable wing structure. The company suggests that this light model offers little to no strategic value to attackers as well as limited destructive potential even if seized.

In terms of safety, the Celeste team suggests that these larger, lightweight drones are more visible to pilots, thus reducing the potential for collisions. Furthermore, their low mass promises to limit potential damage in a collision, thanks to what the company calls its “flying marshmallows” design.

Another benefit of this design is that these lightweight models can operate from virtually any flat surface — including rooftops or small warehouses, for example.

Celeste noted that by reducing the speed of the drone from 200 km/h to 25 km/h, energy consumption was cut by a factor of 64 over a 100 km route. Further, Celeste explained that the drone’s pneumatic textile wing structure allows for a 300 km range and six-hour battery life. Additionally, the aircraft is capable of gliding even in the event of engine failure.

For more information, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Celeste Ecoflyers.